Hughes reporting Olympic events for CBS 2 in NY

Very interesting indeed. I learned from this article that Sarah received the 6th annual "Robert Moses Master Builder Award" last year. Who knew?

This award (I just discovered) is given by the Long Island State Parks to someone who gave exraordinary service to NY parks and demonstrated "an uncommon ability to get things done" (that's our Sarah!)

The award was named after renowned slum architech and city planner, Robert Moses. His policies and personality were so controversial that this year's winner, Bette Midler, refused to accept the award until they took Robert Moses' name off it, so she just won the "Long Island Parks Master Builder Award."

The other previous winners are James Watson (he won a Nobel prize for discovering the double helical structure of DNA), Ted Turner, Martha Stewart, Charles Dolan and Oleg Cassini

I wonder what sports Sarah will do? Or maybe just interviews with athletes.

Lets see, how many journalism majors at Columbia would give any number of limbs to get this "summer job". Is Sarah even a journalism minor at Yale? Does she know about the wide range of sports at the Summer games? Too bad I can't get the New York Stations - I really am quite curious to see how she handles it.
I hope she is doing well (Honestly!) I'd hate to think that it was only someone's scheme to boost ratings. I hope she can show them some interesting perspectives from the athletes viewpoint (and not just those fluff pieces!)

As for Sarah, that is a great gig for her. I presume CBS 2 is the company's radio station.. I also presume she will be reading copy from each of the experts on a particular sport. This willl give her great practice in delivery. I can see her majoring in Communications, now.

Hey, if I could sit through the affable yet clueless Terry Gannon's figure skating blah blah, I'm willing to listen to what Sarah has to say! (NOTE: Terry has improved a lot since he started hosting the sport.)

As of this writing she's already appeared two nights. It's the CBS local TV affiliate in NYC, but I understand some other CBS stations are picking up the pieces as well. Her pre-Olympic stories are profiles of athletes, some with NY ties. She'll be in Athens as well.
Sarah is personable and well-spoken, and her real-world experience in being around the media since the age of 12 is something most 19-year-old journalism majors can only dream of. (And of course, like all TV personalities, including everyone from Dick Button to Mike Wallace, she has production people assisting her.)
As a thoughtful person, I'm sure she has special insights into what the lives of other young athletes are like. And I would imagine other Olympic athletes enjoy speaking to someone their age (or younger!) who's been through similar experiences.
Posters at FSU and SkateFans among others have seen and commented favorably on her appearances, and I've also heard positive comments privately.
BTW I would not rule out the possibility of her doing *some* type of skating this season.

The award was named after renowned slum architech and city planner, Robert Moses. His policies and personality were so controversial that this year's winner, Bette Midler, refused to accept the award until they took Robert Moses' name off it, so she just won the "Long Island Parks Master Builder Award."

Ugh! I'm am just so sick of revisionist history to suit current political fashion! Yeah, Moses did it all by himslef. In fact, he single handedly built the BQE during the night without anyone even knowing until they woke the next morning, and New Yorkers were so outraged that since day one, everyone has refused to use it. Give me a !@#$%ing break! Somehow I doubt that Bette would refuse an Oscar because she'd heard that Pickford's uncle used to cheat on his wife. What a phoney!

Anyway, although I've heard several times over the years about Bette's involvement with NY parks, I've never once heard of Sarah doing anything. I did move away 3 years ago. What pray tell has the Yale student done to deserve the award?

Anyway, although I've heard several times over the years about Bette's involvement with NY parks, I've never once heard of Sarah doing anything. I did move away 3 years ago. What pray tell has the Yale student done to deserve the award?

I was more interested in her getting the gig to read copy of the westling matches, archery, and fencing moves that I overlooked the Master Builder Award.

The challenge:
The Foundation for Long Island State Parks, a TBG client, is the child of the Long Island State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Commission. The Commission was created by an act of the New York State Legislature. The mission of the Foundation is to enhance and promote usage of the New York State Parks on Long Island, as well as to fund important activities and projects not included in New York State's annual budget.

The Foundation had been lying dormant for some time and, therefore, was not carrying out its mission. The challenge was to jumpstart a program that would provide visibility, while raising funds for the Foundation.

The solution:
To meet the challenge, TBG created a special award - The Robert Moses Master Builder Award - named in honor of the founder of the New York State Parks System (among other significant accomplishments). Our strategy was to present the Robert Moses Master Builder Award to a nationally known figure active in the fields of recreation, parks and environment, or historic preservation. The award would be the centerpiece of a prestigious annual black-tie awards dinner, which would also feature the presentation of the Foundation's Distinguished Service Medals to three deserving Long Islanders who have provided leadership in activities consistent with the Parks' mission.

The awards dinner proved to be an instant success and has taken its place as one of Long Island's most significant and exciting events. Thus far, recipients of the Robert Moses Master Builder Award have been Time Warner's Ted Turner, multi-media tycoon Martha Stewart, Nobel Laureate Dr. James Watson, and Cablevision's founder and chairman, Charles Dolan. "http://www.blankmangroup.com/services_events2.html

"Laboratory president Jim Watson was awarded the Foundation for Long Island State Parks’ Robert Moses Master Builder Award. The award is presented in recognition of leadership in the fields of recreation, parks and environment, historic preservation, or other significant contributions to humankind."http://www.cshl.org/public/HT/ss99-awards.html

"Created in 1997, the Master Builder Award recognizes nationally known figures who demonstrate "an uncommon ability to get things done." In addition to Dr. Watson, previous recipients include Ted Turner, Martha Stewart, Charles Dolan, Oleg Cassini and Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater, Sarah Hughes. Proceeds from the annual Master Builder Award Gala will be shared between the Foundation and the NYRP, enhancing parks and activities for patrons across the Long Island and New York metropolitan region."http://nysparks.state.ny.us/press/2004/Apr_16.htm

What a crock of sh!t! How did it go from being in honor of parks and historic presevation to "getting things done"? Sounds like Sarah's win was strictly political to me.
:(

Newsday (the Long Island paper) only seemed interested in skating when Sarah was at the Olympics. Since then, the sport, even during the nationals and worlds, fell completely off that paper's sport pages. Talk about being a "homer"

I don't think I would say political, exactly. I don't see anything wrong with the Long Island Parks honoring a hometown girl who did something spectacular on the world stage, even if she wasn't involved specifically in projects to raise money for parks and park services. Maybe they felt that she represents "family values," like all of the folks that they want to encourage to come out and use the parks.

Anyway, as I read the articles on this award, it seems like the purpose of the awards ceremony is itself to raise money: "Proceeds from the annual Master Builder Award Gala will be shared between the Foundation and the NYRP, enhancing parks and activities for patrons across the Long Island and New York metropolitan region." So maybe they thought that a bunch of people would want to come out and pay $50 a plate to see the Olympic champion, while contributing to a worthy cause.

I hope so. The more figure skaters start getting treated like real celebrities, the better. It's good for the sport, IMO. Like Bronxgirl says, nobody on Long Island gives two hoots about figure skating, but they love Sarah, LOL.

And why shouldn't they? She is a sweetheart , not arrogant or boastful, even though she has plenty to boast about if she wanted to. I am glad that she will be participating as a journalist at the summer games just to keep in the mind of the public, "Hey, don't forget us -- we'll see you in 2006."

I agree with Mathman. And besides, it is their award to give. But, I do not like hearing that Bette Midler demanded the name of the award be changed before she accepted it. If she didn't like the name of the award or the history behind it...she shouldn't have accepted it period. Putting a new name on something doesn't erase its past.